Cotton-gin.



N. P. PEARSE.

COTTON GIN.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. [4. 19H.

a l, y.

Norman PAIN Prensa OF ONDON. ENGLAND- COTTON-GIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got 26, 1915.

Application filed November 14., 1911. Serial No. 660,220.

To all whom it ma/g concern: 1

Be it known that I, NORMAN P. PnAnsn, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, resident of London, England, have invented. an Improvement in Cotton-Gir s, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to ginning mechanism and, while having other andmore general fields of usefulness, is especially designed for ginning cotton.

The invention consists in a construction of gin wherein an endless belt surface takes the place, wholly or in part, of the peripheral roll ginning surface of the ordinary roller gin, the improved construction enabling the usual doctor knife which presses against the ginning roll in the roller gin type to be dispensed with and greatly lessening the wear and tear on the ginning sufface.

The ginning action of my improved gin also effects the separation of seeds from the cotton and the delivery of the cleaned fiber in a most rapid and effective manner and with a minimum of. tearing and breaking of the fiber.

The invention also co-mprehends various auxiliary features adapted for use in connection with the belt ginning surface con str-uction.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through the operative parts of a gin formed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the immediate operating parts of a modified form, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail.

Referring to Fig. 1, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, two bars or beams 10, 11 are mounted on a suitable frame work, one above theother formed and spaced apart to leave a passageway 12 between them, which extends the length of the gin. These bars are provided with sharp opposing outer corners 13, 14, shown as rectangular, and the outer faces of these bars are preferably for the main part flat and in the same plane with their outer ends rounded as seen at 15. A pair endless belts 16, 17 pass around the outer sides of the bars 10, 1 1 and thence through passage 12 around drums. 18, 19 journaled on shafts 20, 21 mounted in a suitable-framework, these drums being in geared connection as seen at 22, so as to turn in unison. To further insure equal movement of the two cooperating belts 1-6, 17, spring pressed rollers 23 are mounted in position to press against the respective belts. on the drums 18, 19, these rollers being preferably in geared connection with the drums as seen at 24. Suitable doffers 25 or the like are mounted to doff the fiber from the belts during their passage around the drums 18, 19.

Various materials may be used for the belts 16., 17,- the only requisites. being the provision of suitable rough outer ginning surfaces adapted for grabbing the fiber and drawing it along, and durable quality. In practice, I find that belts made of strong duck or canvas, similar to that ordinarily employed for power transmission belting is well suited for this use and this material provides a ginning surface of an effective character without any special preparation or treatment. 1 The surfaces of the bars 10, 11 over which the belts pass may be finished down smooth to minimize friction and wear as the belts pass thereover, but I preferably provide wear plates 26 ofbrass or tin fitting over the corners 13, 14: and extending in either direction to provide wear; surfaces over which the belts slide readily. It is desirable that the belts as they pass through the passage 12 be held taut and pressed close together so as to provide a restricted receiving mouth forgetting a good hold on the fiber, and for this purpose springs27 housed with in recesses in one or both bars 10., 11 are arranged to press the wear plates 26 inward and thus keep the belts taut and quite closely together as they pass through the passage 12. Clearer mechanism is arranged for operative movement. adjacent and past the ginning point and while other arrangements, as. one with a single blade are included within the broader aspects of the invention, the preferred embodiment shown has opposite clearer blades or combs 2-8, 29 carried by the bar 30, which is mounted and connected for reciprocating movement of these blades at either side and closely in front of the operative portions of the belts, these bladesha-ving a range of movement to bring them up. over synchronism, dragging the fiber into the restricted mouth between them.

The clearers 28, 29 on their carrier bar 30 may be mounted for reciprocation 1n any suitablemanner known in'the art, the details whereof form 'no'part of the present invention.

Spring plates 31, 32 are fixed to shafts 33 extending to press against the belts 16, 17

as they pass down over, the front sides of bars 10, 11,these plates keeping the belts pressed up against the bars'and also serving as protecting bearing backings, so that the clearers 28, 29 do not come in direct contact with the belts as such contact might injure them. The tension of the spring plates 31, 32 may be varied by means of screws 34 acting through arms 35 to oscillate shafts 33 which carry said plates. A suitable hopper 36 delivers the cotton to the exposed surfaces of the belts 16, 17. As a means for assisting the cotton delivery to the exposed belt surfaces by the action of gravity or usual feeding means and to further the end of catching up all loose pieces of fiber, I preferably provide air suction means for drawing the cotton in against the belts.

For this purpose suction chambers are formed at the rear of the bars 10 11 connected withany suitable vacuum producing means and from these chambers passages 38 extend to the front sides of the bars 10, 11

, under the exposed belt portions whereby air is rapidly sucked through the interstices of the belts and exerts a suction action on the cotton mass behind to draw the same against the belts. In case the wear plates 26 are used, these will, of course, be suitably apertured so as not to interfere with the suction connection. Y

'In'use, thebelts 16, 17, which may be moved at a considerably slower rate than the ginningroll surfaces in ordinary use, catch the fiber as it falls thereagainst or is brought uprby the suction connection described and draws the same into the restricted mouth 12 where it is more strongly gripped between the opposing belt portions and the drawing action thus exert-ed is sufficient to free and remove a large part of the The seed separation is, however, greatly facilitated and expedited by the :rapid vibrationrof the clearers adjacent the receiving mouth and from either side thereof. I find that this cooperation of parts effectively and completely frees the seeds and foreign matter from the fiber, leaving only the clean fiber to be delivered by the belts. The doctor knife pressing against the ginning surface which has hitherto been considered necessary, has been a cause of rapid Wear and deterioration of the ginning surface; this being eliminated in my improved structure and there being no parts acting upon the belts with any special wearing tendency, these have a correspondingly longer period of usefulness. Further, these belts being preferably formed as stated of ordinary commercial duck or canvas belting, the cost thereof is relatively insignificant as compared with that of the ordinary ginning roll which requires a special construction and is quite expensive to manufacture. My improved gin also has a relatively large capacity and, as stated, is adapted to be'operated at a much lower rate of speed than the common roller gin, while having a greater output.

In Fig. 2 a modified form of the invention is shown wherein a single belt 39, similar to the belts 16, 17, passes over a bar 40 and around a driving drum 41. The bar 40 has its front side curved as seen at 42 to extend around a portion of a drum 43 provided with a peripheral ginning surface, the curved surface 42 being spaced away from the periphery of said drum to leave a restricted opening through which the belt 39 passes, this belt being further held around a substantial portion of the circumference of drum 43 by the position of drum 41. The belt 39 is pressed against the front side of bar 40 by a spring plate 44 similar to the plates 31, 32 and passes around an acute angle edge 45 of said bar as it comes against the ginning surface of drum 43. The drums 1)..

41 and 43 are geared together for synchronous movement, and thus the movement of belt 39 corresponds to the peripheral speed of the adjacent surface of roll 43. A clearer blade 46 is mounted for vibration adjacent a and over the operative surface of the belt to cooperate with the belt and roll in loosening and freeing the seeds in like manner as the clearers 28, 29. In this form of the inven roll or drum 43. As the fiber is gripped be- I tween the rough ginning surface of this roll 'or drum and the belt, it is stripped from the seeds with the cooperation of the adjacent vlbrating clearer 46 in like manner as in the l. l. l

preceding form, the belt being constantly drawn up against the roll 43 by the action of driving drum 41.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A gin, comprising an endless belt formed with a ginning surface, an adjacently mounted member cooperative therewith to form a restricted, cotton-receiving mouth, and resiliently yielding backing means for abruptly changing the direction of said belt at said mouth to furnish a yielding abutment to permit said belt to draw the fiber away from the seeds.

A gii'i, comprising an endless ginning belt presenting a cotton grabbing surface, a co-acting surface movable in timed relation With said belt, means for delivering cotton to be ginned by the aforesaid mechanism, a

support for said belt having a substantially fiat side cing said means terminating in a relatively sharp corner close to said co-acting surface for positionin in substantially the same plane those portions of said belt and the co-acting surface against which the cotton is delivered by said (:lelivering means, and said corner bringing the cotton-grabbing portions of the belt and of saidsurface substantially against each other at a point substantially in line with said plane, and means cotiperative with said belt and surface for completing the loosening and freey of the seeds from the fiber.

Q}. A gin, comprising an endless ginning belt presenting a cotton grabbing surface, a co-acting surface movable in unison with said belt, means for delivering cotton'to be ginned by the aforesaid mechanism, a sup-- port for belt having a substantially flat side facing said means terminating in a relatively sharp corner close to said co-acting surface for positioning in substantially the same plane those portions of said belt and co-acting surface against Which the cotton is delivered by said delivering means, and said corner bringing the cotton-grabbing portions of the belt, and of said surface closely adjacent each other at a point substantially in line With said plane, and means movable approximately parallel to said plane and transversely of said corner for aiding in the loosening of the seeds from the fiber.

at. A gin, comprising an endless belt formed with a ginning surface, a support having a sharp corner and a plane front face over which the belt is passed, a spring plate pressing the belt'against said plane face, a member mounted for vibration over said plate adjacent said corner, and an opposed ginning surface mounted for movement 1n unison with said belt arranged to form therewith a restricted fiber receiving mouth.

A gin, comprising an endless belt formed with a ginning surface, a support formed With a sharp angle over Which said belt is passed, a movable surface arranged to cooperate with said belt to form a restricted fiber-receiving mouth and consisting of a similar belt and similar support, the sharp angles being arranged close to and in substantial alinement With each other so as to bring the belts approximately into contact With each other at said mouth, said belts extending rearWardly in contact With each other from said mouth and extend ing in an opposite direction laterally in substantially one and thesame plane outside of said mouth, and means movable approximately parallel to said plane and close to and transversely of said mouth for aiding in the freeing of the seeds from the fiber.

6. it gin, comprising an endless belt formed with a ginning surface, a support formed with a sharp angle over which said belt is passed, a movable surface arranged to cooperate with said belt to form a restricted fiber-receiving mouth and consisting of a similar belt and similar support, the sharp angles being a "ranged close to and in alinement'with each other so as to bring the belts a n iroximately into contact with each other at said mouth, said belts extending rear- \vardly in contact With each other from said mouth and extending in an opposite direction laterally in substantially one and the same plane outside of said mouth, means movable approximately parallel to said plane and close to and transversely of said mouth for aiding in the freeing of the seeds from the fiber, and a flat yielding plate carried by one of said supports to press said belts toward each other throughout the area of their said rearward contact with each other.

7. A gin, comprising an endless belt formed With a ginning surface, a support formed with a sharp angle over Which said belt is passed, a movable surface arranged to cooperate with said belt to form a restricted fiber-receiving mouth and consisting of a similar belt and similar support, the sharp angles being arranged close to and in saline ment with each other so as to bring the belts approximately into contact with each other at said mouth, said belts extending rearwardly in contact vith each other from said mouth and extending in an opposite direction laterally in substantially one and the same plane outside of said mouth, and means movable approximately parallel to said plane and close to and transversely of said mouth for aiding in the freeing of the seeds from the fiber, at least one of said supports having means for applying suction to the adjacent belt close to said mouth.

8. A gin, comprising an endless belt formed With a ginning surface, a support formed With a sharp angle over Which said belt is passed, a movable surface arranged to cooperate With said belt to form a restricted fiber-receiving mouth and consisting of a similar belt and similar support, the sharp angles being arranged close to and in alinement with each other so as to bring the belts approximately into contact With each other at said mouth, said belts extending rear- Wardly in contact with each other from said mouth and extending in an opposite direction laterally in substantially one and the same plane outside of said mouth, and means movable approximately parallel to said plane and close to and transversely *formed with a sharp angle over which said belt is passed, a movable member presenting a surface arranged to cooperate with sald belt to form a restricted fiber-receivlng mouth and consisting of asimilar belt and similar support, the sharp angles being arranged close to and in alinement with each other so as to bring the belts approximately into contact with each other at said mouth, said belts extending rearwardlyin contact with each other from said mouth and ex tending inan opposite direction laterally in substantially one and the same plane outside of said mouth, means movable approximately parallel to said plane and close to and transversely of said mouth for aiding in the freeing of the seeds from the fiber, and an'exte'rnal pressure spring for pressing each belt against its support slightly back from said mouth.

10. A gin, comprising an endless belt formed with a ginning surface, a support formed with a sharp angle over which said belt is passed, a movable surface arranged to cooperate with said belt to form a restricted fiber-receiving mouth and consisting of a 40 similar belt and similar support, the sharp angles being arranged close to and in alinement with each other so as to bring the belts approximately into contact with each other at said month, said belts extending rear- Co'piesof this patent may be obtained for wardly in contact with each other from said mouth and extending in an opposite direction laterally in substantially one and the same plane outside of said mouth, means movable approximately parallel to said plane and close to and transversely of said mouth for aiding in the freeing of the seats from the fiber, pivotally mounted external pressure springs for pressing said belts against their supports slightly back from said mouth, and adjusting means for turning said springs on their pivots.

11. A gin, comprising an endless belt formed with a ginning surface, a support formed with a sharp angle over which sair belt is passed, a movable surface arranged to cooperate with said belt to form a restricted fiber-receiving mouth and consisting of a similar belt and similar support, the sharp angles being arranged close to and in alinement with each other so as to bring the belts approximately into contact with each other at said mouth, said belts extending rearwardly in contact with each other from said mouth and extending in an opposite direction laterally in substantially one and the same plane outside of said mouth, a carrier bar extending transversely of said mouth and reciprocable approximately parallel to said plane, and opposite clearer blades carried by said carrier bar and extending obliquely toward said mouth and terminating close to and slightly away from said belts for cooperating with the belts in freeing the seeds from the cotton as the cotton is pulled into said mouth by the belts.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NORMAN PAIN PEAR-SE.

Witnesses:

C. L. Rooms, R. G. HERSEY.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

